Apparatus for girth wrapping folios



C. R. STEVENS APPARATUS FOR GIRTH WRAPPING FOLIOS May 27, 1969 Filed Dec. 12. 1966 INVENTOR Z Uzmmzsflfirzrms. gnaw ATTORNEYS May 27, 1969 c. R. STEVENS APPARATUS FOR GIRTH WRAPPING FOLIOS I Filed Dec. 12. 1966 Sheet BYM (9mm ATTORNEYS.

C. R. STEVENS APPARATUS FOR GIRTH WRAPPING FOLIOS May 27, 1969 Sheet Filed Dec. 12, 1966 INVENTOR: EHARLES R. STEVENS. @0 04! M ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent US. C]. 5352 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for girth wrapping folios having a conveyor for feeding a wrapper sheet and the folio between laterally spaced, upwardly and inwardly flared wrapper margin guides and onto a second conveyor which extends between a pair of laterally spaced, longitudinal wings which have inwardly turned lips on their upper edges and which are swung inwardly to tightly fold the wrapper around the sides of the folio. The second conveyor is raised to fold the wrapper inwardly at the intersections of the lips and wings. A pair of horizontal plates are moved from opposite sides inwardly to lay the margins of the Wrapper over the folio with the edge portions overlapped. A presser seals the overlapped margins.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In paper mills it is conventional to cut and stack sheets of paper of determined size in piles, each pile including a number of thousands of sheets with indicator slips inserted between the numbered groups of sheets as they are assembled in the piles. Thereafter, it is possible for an operator to lift or separate a group of sheetscalled a folioand numbering 250 or 500, off of the top of the top of the stack in order that it subsequently may be handled as a unit.

The apparatus of the present invention is designed for supplying a wrapper, and for moving a folio and its wrapper through a series of manipulative sub-assemblies of the apparatus, which tightly fold the wrapper laterally around the folio and seal it longitudinally, this being generally referred to as girth wrapping. The present apparatus does not seal the ends but leaves them open and delivers the girth wrapped folio to a subsequent apparatus by which the ends of the wrapper are crimped, folded and sealed to make a closed package which protects the folio of sheets from dirt and damage during the further packing, shipment and storage.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide an apparatus having means for supplying individual wrappers of selected size, and for moving a folio of sheets and the wrapper automatically through a series of stations by which the wrapper is laterally folded up and around the folio, its lateral margins are folded tightly across the top of the folio into overlapping relationship with sharp creases at the corners of the folio of sheets, and the overlapping portions of the margins of the wrapper are sealed to each other, the wrapped folio then being delivered from the machine.

This and other more particular objects and advantages of an apparatus embodying the invention will be better understood from the specification which follows and from the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a portion of an apparatus embodying the invention for initially measuring and positioning a sheet of Wrapping paper, called a wrapper" herein;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing a cut wrapper in position with a folio of fiat sheets of paper positioned thereon and ready for movement through the remainder of girth wrapping apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in perspective illustrating that portion of the apparatus continuing immediately after the portion shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing a portion of the apparatus following that shown in FIG. 3 and illustrating how the wrapper and folio are moved into position in mechanism by which the wrapper is sharply folded around the longitudinal comers of the folio of sheets;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 illustrating how the wrapper is tightly folded at the lower and upper longitudinal corners of the folio of sheets;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrating how the two lateral margins of the wrapper are sequentially folded over the top of the folio, the margin of the wrapper on one side being positioned beneath the margin on the other side and providing overlapped portions of the margins which are to be sealed together;

FIG, 7 is a view similar to FIGS. 4 6, inclusive, illustrating how the lateral margins of the wrapper are held in overlapped position and a presser is utilized to seal the overlapped seam; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view in perspective illustrating how the girth wrapped folio is discharged from the folding and sealing means and onto a conveyor for delivcry to a subsequent apparatus by which the open ends of the wrapper may be crimped in upon each other and folded over to close the wrapper around the folio.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In FIG. 1, there is shown a supply roll 10 of a continuous web 11 of wrapping paper, preferably waterproof coated, with which the folios of fiat sheets of paper are to be enclosed. From the supply roll 10, the web 11 is led between a pair of feeding rollers 12, beneath a transverse cutting device, generally indicated by the reference number 13, beneath a fence 14 and over onto a continuous belt 15. The feeding rolls 12 are actuated by drive mechanism (not shown), in response to an operators signal, to feed the web 11 beneath the fence 14, and the belt 15 is driven by a motor (not shown) at the same lineal rate of speed as the web 11 until a leading edge 16 of the web 11 actuates a photocell or similar control (not shown) generally located at the position indicated by the reference number 17 within a compartment 18.

The compartment 18 is formed in a main table 19 over which the belt 15 slides, is adjacent the edge of the belt 15 and has a cover 20, shown in open position in FIG. 1. The photocell is movable longitudinally in the compartment 18 to any selected distance from the fence 14 and the cutting device 13 to determine the longitudinal length of paper to be fed onto the belt 15 upon each actuation. The length fed is such that it will longitudinally cover a folio of sheets and leave free ends extending from each end of the folio sufficient long to subsequently be crimped inwardly and wrapped around the ends of the folio.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, one of the lateral marginal portions of the web 11 overlies the compartment 18 as it is moved therealong with the belt 15. The other marginal portion of the web of paper 11 extends beneath a longitudinal stop bar 21 which is adjustably mounted on the fence 14 for movement to selected positions transversely of the web 11, the particular position being determined by the width of the folio of sheets to be wrapped.

When the web 11 reaches the position illustrated in FIG. 1, its leading edge 16 actuates the photocell in the compartment 18, terminating the feeding of the supply roll 10 and movement of the belt 15. The door 20 closes (see FIG. 2) to grasp the marginal portion of the web 11.

When the door closes, it actuates means which drives the cutting device 13 transversely across the web 11 severing an individual wrapper 22 from the web 11.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the machine operator stands adjacent the main table 19 near to which has been positioned a stack of folios generally indicated by the reference number 23, the stack being placed upon an elevator platform 24 so that each time the operator lifts a single folio, for example the folio off of the top of the stack 23, the elevator 24 raises a distance equivalent to the thickness of the folio to place a second folio 25a with its bottom at the level of the table 19. The operator slides the selected folio 25 off of the stack 23 onto the table 19 and across the trap door 20 which is still closed and holds the edge of the wrapper 22, and into the corner formed by the fence 14 and stop bar 21. Because the position of the stop bar 21 has been predetermined, as explained above, this places the folio 25 on the wrapper 22 so that the lateral margins of the wrapper 22 extend out from beneath the folio 25 proper distances to eventually be folded around the folio 25 into overlapping relationship as will subsequently be described. Similarly, as can be seen in FIG. 2, the length of the wrapper 22 as determined by the actuation of the photocell is such that it extends beyond the ends of the folio 25, a sufficient distance to provide open ends to the final girth wrapped package, providing a sufiicient length of the wrapper 22 to be tucked in and folded around the ends of the folio 25 to form a closed package. After the operator moves the folio 25 to the position illustrated in FIG. 2, he again actuates the start button which opens the door 20, releasing the lateral margin of the wrapper 22, and starts the drive mechanism for the belt 15.

A glue spreader shown in simplified form and generally indicated by the reference number 26, is positioned adjacent one side of the path of movement of the belt 15 with its glue spreading roller 27 in position to contact an upper edge portion of the near lateral margin of the wrapper 22.

A pair of upwardly flared margin guides 28 and 29 are positioned above the belt 15 by bracket means (not shown), the margin guide 28 being aligned with and in position to upwardly guide that margin of the wrapper 22 on which glue is spread by the glue spreader 26. The other margin guide 29 is positioned by adjustable bracket means (not shown) for adjustment transversely of the belt 15 to positions corresponding to the width of the wrapper 22 and the folio of sheets 25 which is to be wrapped, so as to guide the other margin of the wrapper 22 upwardly and around the leading corner and sides of the folio 25 as it moves between the margin guides 28 and 29 on the belt 15.

A conveyor 30 (FIG. 3) extends away from the ends of the margin guides 28 and 29 and from the main feeding belt 15 in order to carry the folio 25 and its wrapper 22 farther through the apparatus. The conveyor 30 is illustrated as consisting of a pair of laterally spaced, horizontal slat type conveyor webs 31 and 32, the two webs 31 and 32 being driven in synchronism by drive mechanism (not shown) to continue the feeding of the folio 25 and wrapper 22 as explained above. Again, depending upon the lateral width of the folio 25, the conveyor web 32 may be adjusted transversely of the machine so that, if a wider folio 25 is being fed, the conveyor web 32 is spaced a greater distance from the conveyor web 31 thus to afford proper support for the folio 25 and its wrapper 22 as well as to properly position conveyor wings 33and 34 (see FIG. 4) which extend along the outside edges of the conveyor webs 31 and 32. When the conveyor web 32 is adjusted laterally, the associated wing 34 moves with the web 32 and thus the wing 34 is finally positioned in alignment with the stop bar 21 by which the position of the edge of the folio 25 originally was determined on the wrapper 22.

The conveyor 30 moves the folio 25 and its wrapper 22 into position between the wings 33 and 34 until the leading edge 16 of the wrapper 22 depresses a trigger 35 (see FIG. 3) which protrudes upwardly between the two conveyor webs 31 and 32 and, when actuated, stops the conveyor 30 with the folio 25 and wrapper 22 in the position illustrated in FIG. 4.

Engagement of the trigger 35 also actuates a mechanism (not shown) which swings the wings 33 and 34 from the slightly, outwardly angled position illustrated in FIG. 4, to an erect, vertical position as shown in FIG. 5 and also energizes a mechanism, for example hydraulic or pneumatic (not shown), which bodily elevates the conveyor 30 as illustrated in FIG. 5. Each of the wings 33 and 34 is T-shaped in cross section, having an inwardly extending lip 36 or 37 throughout its length so that when the wings 33 and 34 swing inwardly to the position illustrated in FIG. 5, and the conveyor 30 moves upwardly, the wrapper 22 is crimped tightly around both the lower and upper longitudinal edges of the folio 25. The tight crimping of the wrapper 22 around the upper longitudinal edges of the folio 25 takes place at the sharp corners between the lips 36 and 37 and the vertical portions of their respective wings 33 and 34. The upward movement of the conveyor 30 is terminated when the folio 25 has been forced tightly up against the undersides of the lips 36 and 37 and the upper corner of one side of the folio 25 and its wrapper 22 engages a limit switch 38 that is positioned in the inner side of the lip 36 of the wing 33 (see FIG. 5).

Closing the limit switch 38 not only terminates the upward movement of the conveyor 30, leaving the margins of the wrapper 22 overyling the wings 33 and 34 as shown in FIG. 5, but it also energizes mechanism (not shown) which slides a first folding plate 39 laterally inwardly, closely over the upper surface of the respective wing lip 37 to fold the corresponding lateral margin of the wrapper 22 downwardly over the top sheet of the folio 25. The folding plate 39 is of such size and its mechanism so adjusted that it moves inwardly relative to the folio 25 a distance (see FIG. 6) sufiicient to fold the lateral margin of the wrapper 22 downwardly and retain it in position on the folio 25. Upon completion of the inward movement of the folding plate 39 (see FIG. 6) a second, laterally spaced and inwardly movable folding plate 40 is similarly slid inwardly into engagement with the other lateral margin of the wrapper 22, on the upper edge of which has been spread a layer of glue, and this margin of the wrap per 22 is similarly folded inwardly and downwardly into overlapping relation with the edge of the first folded margin (see FIG. 6). The two folding plates 39 and 40 are moved inwardly only distances sufficient to cause the respective margins of the wrapper 22 to overlie each other, leaving a space, generally indicated by the reference number 41, between the inner edges of the folding plates 39 and 40, which space extends longitudinally along and leaves uncovered, the overlapped portions of the margins of the wrapper 22.

Upon completion of the inward movement of the sequentially actuated folding plates 39 and 40, a presser 42, shown as being positioned on the lower end of the rod of an air cylinder 43, for example, is moved downwardly into contact with the overlapped portion of the margins of the wrapper 22 in the space 42 and is pressed tightly downwardly to seal the overlapped portions of these margins (see FIG. 7). After a short period of time, automatically controlled by suitable timing mechanism in the circuit and power means for the presser 42, of sufiicient duration to insure the sealing of the glue in the overlapped portions of the wrapper 22 has passed, a series of controls automatically and sequentially are actuated to release the girth wrapped folio. The two folding plates 39 and 40 are withdrawn (see FIG. 8). The conveyor wings 33 and 34 are swung outwardly. The conveyor 30 is lowered to its lower position, with its surface lying generally in the same horizontal plane as the original feeding belt 15 and an off-feeding bed 44 which is aligned with and extends away from the conveyor 30. Subsequent to the movement of these parts to the position illustrated in FIG. 8, the drive means for the conveyor 30 and its off-feeding belt 44, are energized and the girth wrapped and sealed folio 25 with its wrapper 22, are fed onto the off-feeding belt 44 and carried away by the belt 44 to subsequent apparatus by which the open ends of the wrapper 22 are crimped and folded around the ends of the folio 25 to complete the package.

This series of movements of the just described apparatus restores the conveyor 30 with its associated wings 33 and 34 and folding plates 39 and 40 to position for the reception of a subsequent folio and wrapper as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 and the subsequent wrapping thereof as illustrated in FIGS. 4-7, inclusive.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for girth wrapping a multiple sheet folio, said apparatus comprising, a longitudinally movable belt and means for feeding a wrap onto said belt for receiving a folio thereon, a pair of of longitudinally extending, wrap margin guides laterally spaced from each other a distance equal to the width of said folio, and positioned on opposite sides of said belt, means for moving said belt for feeding said wrap and said folio between said guides and preliminarily folding the margins of said wrap upwardly, a conveyor extending away from the ends of said guides, a longitudinally extending Wing at each side of said conveyor, said wings being spaced laterally a distance equal to the width of said folio and being mounted for pivotal movement between first, outwardly angled positions generally aligned with the ends of said guides and second, vertical erect positions, an inwardly extending lip on the upper edge of each of said wings, means mounting said conveyor for vertical movement relative to said wings, control means responsive to delivery of a wrap and folio onto said conveyor from said belt for swinging said wings to second position and moving said conveyor upwardly for crimping said wrap over the upper, outer corners of said folio, and means responsive to engagement of the under surface of said lips with the wrap when crimped over the corners of said folio for terminating the upward movement of said conveyor.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 and a pair of folding plates mounted on opposite sides of said conveyor for inward sliding movement closely overlying said lips for laying the lateral margins of the wrap onto the folio in overlapping relationship, and means for moving said plates sequentially inwardly after arrival of a folio and wrap in position on said conveyor.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which said folding plates are moved inwardly with their inner edges latenally spaced from each other only to a position leaving a longitudinally extending strip of overlapped margins of said wrap therebetween and a presser mounted above said conveyor and movable downwardly against such overlapped margins in the space between the inner edges of said folding plates for sealing the same.

4. In an apparatus according to claim 2, the improvement comprising a glue applicator located at one side of said belt for applying a strip of glue to the edge portion of one lateral margin of the wrap which is folded into overlapping relationship with the other lateral margin of the wrap.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2 and means responsive to the arrival of a folio and wrap on said conveyor between said wings for sequentially swinging said wings into second, erect position, for elevating said conveyor and moving said folding plates sequentially inwardly.

6. Apparatus according to claim 3 and means responsive to the arrival of said folding plates for moving said presser downwardly against the overlapped margins for holding said presser in position for a measured time and then for sequentially raising said presser, moving said plates outwardly, swinging said wings outwardly, lowering said conveyor and driving said conveyor for discharging a sealed wrapped folio therefrom.

US. Cl. X.R. 

